


Gone in a Flash

by JohnTTompkins



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:15:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27072583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnTTompkins/pseuds/JohnTTompkins
Summary: They say you don't know what you have until you lose it, and Chloe Price found that out the hard way. She now has to learn to come to terms with the death of her best friend, Max Caulfield. Letting go isn't easy, but she has the support of another friend, Rachel Amber. How will she cope?
Relationships: Rachel Amber/Chloe Price
Kudos: 1





	1. Nightmare

Chloe Price lay in her bed, tossing and turning restlessly as she slept. As she moved feverishly, she cried out things like _NO!_ and _Please! Come back to me!_ She was having a nightmare. Just a few days earlier, she had the great misfortune of discovering the dead body of her best friend, Max Caulfield. Since then, she'd been having rather vivid nightmares. As the daylight stole into her room, Chloe awoke with a shout. _NO!_ She panted. "Damn. Not again. I mean, I know it's only been a few days since I... but Jesus Christ, they're getting really fucking vivid."

She wiped the sleep, and tears, from her eyes, and sat up in her bed. "Better get dressed. The... funeral is today." Forcing herself to stand, despite the protestations of her body, she dragged herself toward her dresser and picked out an outfit that she thought would be appropriate for the day. As she was getting dressed, her mom, Joyce, knocked on her door. "Chloe? You awake, sweetheart?" she called.

Chloe sniffled. "Yeah. I'm awake."

"Can I come in?"

"Sure, whatever."

Joyce opened the door and stepped into the room. "How're you doing? David and I have heard you screaming and crying every night for the last few days."

That otherwise harmless question seemed to aggravate Chloe. "How am I doing? How am I _doing_? My _best friend_ is _dead_. How do you _think_ I'm doing?" she replied.

Joyce threw her hands up defensively, then sighed. "I know you miss Max. I know. She was a sweet girl."

Chloe looked down at the floor to hide the tears that were now flowing once more. "I do. I miss her more than _anything_ ," she sobbed. "I wish... I wish I could have done something to save her. She wasn't just my friend... she was my _entire_ _world_." Suddenly, a soft vibrating sound interrupted the moment. "Huh? My phone? Who could it be?" She reached for her cell phone and looked at the screen. Displayed upon it was the name of another friend of hers, Rachel Amber. "Rachel? She's probably calling to express her condolences." Shrugging, Chloe answered the call. "H-Hello?" she said, still crying a bit.

"Hey, Chloe," the voice on the other end replied gently. "I... heard about Max. I can't believe that happened to her. I mean, from the stories you told me... she sounded like an amazing girl."

"She was. She really was."

"The funeral is today, right?"

"...Yeah. Why?"

"I feel like... I should be there. Not because I knew her or anything, but to comfort you."

"Thanks. It means a lot."

"Don't mention it. You're my friend. It's only right. I'll see you there."

"Yeah, see you there."

On her way out to the car, Chloe was stopped by her stepfather, or as she called him, 'step-douche', David Madsen. He looked down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "How're you holding up?" he asked.

"I'm okay," she lied, looking up at him, her eyes red and puffy.

"Chloe... I know you're lying. Your mother and I have heard you crying and screaming at night. You feel like it's your fault, don't you?"

"Of _course_ I do. Wouldn't you if you were in my position?"

"Well, sure. It's a natural part of grieving. Just... try not to beat yourself up too much. That Jefferson fellow is a horrible person. It's his fault, not yours."

"You're right. I hope he burns in hell for this."

"And _there's_ the anger," Joyce chimed up from behind.

Chloe turned around, looking slightly confused. "What are you talking about?"

"The stages of grief," her mother explained. "Denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance."

"Denial?" Chloe scoffed. "I'm not in denial."

"That proves that you are. But it's natural. No one ever immediately believes that someone close to them is gone. It takes time to process; to heal. You went through these same feelings when your father died."

"You're right. I did. I just... I never thought I would lose..." Chloe dropped to her knees, wailing wretchedly. " _MAX! COME BACK!!! MAX!!!_ "

David sighed heavily. "Joyce... Do you really think it's a good idea for Chloe to be there? I mean... she _found_ the body. It'll kill her to see her like that again. Maybe she should stay here."

"I agree. Chloe, will you be alright if we leave you here alone for a while?"

Chloe looked up pitifully, tears streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall. "I think I need to be alone anyway."

"Alright. Why don't you call Rachel and tell her to come here instead? She really wants to be there for you."

Nodding, Chloe slowly stood up, and walked back into the house and up to her bedroom. After locking the door behind her, she flopped onto her bed and took out her phone. Then, she dialed Rachel's number.

Rachel answered immediately. "Hello?"

"Hey, Rachel. It's Chloe. I... I won't be going to the funeral. I broke down before getting in the car, and Mom and Step-Douche decided to leave me here to mourn by myself. Mom suggested that I give you a call and tell you to come here instead, since you want to be here for me."

"Oh... Of course I can do that. I'm actually in the car right now, on the way to... Anyway, I'll ask my dad." She took the phone away from her ear and cleared her throat quietly to get her dad, James', attention. "Dad?" she asked. "Could you please drop me off at Chloe's place?"

"Of course," he replied.

Having gotten the okay, she put the phone back to her ear. "I'll be there shortly. Try not to... do anything reckless, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"Yeah."

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Chloe ran down the stairs to greet Rachel, and the two shared a meaningful embrace for a moment. "I'm so glad you could come," Chloe whispered, choking up.

"I'm always here for you. You know that," Rachel replied. "Always."

"Thank you."

Rachel smiled sympathetically and patted Chloe on the back. "That's what friends are for, yeah?"

"Yeah. C'mon, let's go up to my room."

"Lead the way."

Chloe nodded and walked up the stairs, Rachel following behind. Upon entering the room, Rachel sat down on Chloe's bed, and Chloe plopped down beside her.

"So," Rachel began, gently taking Chloe by the hand. "Tell me exactly how you're feeling right now, don't hold back."

"Honestly?" Chloe said with a sigh. "I feel like complete shit. I just wanna drive to Blackwell, find Jefferson, and beat him black and blue... or to a bloody pulp. Whichever comes first."

"Is that all you wanna do?"

"No... Right now, I really wanna blaze and forget everything."

"Chloe... That's a terrible idea. You'll just feel worse later."

"You're right. I just... I miss my Super-Max. A lot."

"Super-Max? That's cute. You really cared for her, huh?"

"Hells yeah, I did."

"How much? And be honest. Not just with me, but with yourself as well."

Chloe buried her face in Rachel's shoulder. "I... I was in love with her. I was planning on confessing the day I... found her. If I had told her sooner, do you think she would still be here?"

"It's hard to say. I think she would have fought harder, knowing that she had something to live for. She would have tried her damnedest to stay alive for you. At least, that's what I think."

Chloe nodded silently and wrapped her arms around Rachel.

"What's this? Afraid you're gonna lose me, too?" the blonde attempted to joke. Chloe, however, didn't reply. "Oh my God... I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it that way..."

"Chill... It's fine. I just want you to know that I'm grateful to have a friend like you."

"I know. And me too."

"Can I stay like this a bit longer?"

"Of course. You know, you're really warm..."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. It's nice."

Smiling softly, Chloe moved a little bit closer. "That's better."

"Definitely. Chloe... I just noticed something. Your hair... It's not blue and purple anymore. What happened?"

"Huh? Oh... Yeah. I just don't really feel like putting in the effort to dye it anymore. Besides, I feel like _she_ would have preferred my natural color, anyway, even though she always said she liked it blue and purple."

"She probably would have."

As the two chatted away into the night, Joyce and David returned home. The service ran a little longer than they had expected, but nevertheless, it was a touching ceremony. Rachel stayed for dinner that night, and even slept over, just to keep Chloe company in her time of mourning.


	2. Grief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Depiction of suicide
> 
> If you are having thoughts of suicide, please reach out to someone. Suicide is never the answer.

A few days later, Chloe decided to visit Max's grave to pay her respects after taking some time to process what had happened. Silently, she approached the grave, which was marked with a headstone shaped like a butterfly -- that was her idea. Kneeling down carefully, she took off her beanie and clenched it tightly in her hand. She then bowed her head and muttered a simple prayer -- she didn't know what else to do in the moment, but she knew she didn't want to break down again. As she finished the prayer, she leaned forward and kissed the headstone. "Fly high, butterfly," she whispered, wiping away a single tear before it could fall.

As she stood up, she looked around, sensing that she was not alone at the moment. And alone, she was not. Rachel had followed her. "Hey, C," she said quietly. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"

The strawberry blonde placed her beanie back on her head. "I wanted to say goodbye properly, you know?"

"That's understandable." Rachel looked toward the headstone. "A butterfly?"

"Yeah. It was... my idea, actually."

"Really?"

"Yep. Cheesy, I know."

"Not at all. It's cute."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. I think she'd be happy to know how much you still care about her."

"I'm sure she would."

As they talked, a blue butterfly landed right on Chloe's nose.

"Don't move," Rachel whispered. "This could be a sign."

"A sign?"

"Yeah. Like, maybe she's trying to help you feel better?"

"You think?"

"Yeah."

Chloe looked down toward the butterfly, which was now gently flapping its wings. "Max," she whispered, "if you can hear me, I want you to know that... I love you. I always have, and I always will."

The butterfly's antennae twitched, as if it were nodding in reply to Chloe's words, then it flew away.

"Do you think... she heard me?" Chloe wondered.

"Absolutely," Rachel responded. "She definitely heard you." She smiled softly and wrapped an arm around her friend. "Feel better?"

"A bit," replied Chloe, leaning against the other. "Thanks for being there for me the last few days. It's really helped a lot."

"No problem. I mean, we're friends."

"...Right. Friends. Yeah." Chloe was now more distant than usual, and it worried Rachel.

"Chloe...? Are you okay?"

Suddenly, Chloe turned to the other, looking more pitiful than she ever had in her entire life, and tightly grabbed her by the hands. "What you said to me then, that night. Even though you said you didn't mean it the way it came out... You were right. I _am_ afraid I'm going to lose you someday. I don't _want_ that. I... I _can't_. Not after this."

Rachel gave Chloe's hands a soft squeeze. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"You _can't_ promise that. Max told me the same thing, and now, she's six feet under! Everyone I love _dies_! My dad... Max... I don't want..."

Rachel's eyes widened like a deer in the headlights. "A-Are you saying...?"

"I am. I love you, Rachel Amber. I _fucking love_ you."

"Chloe... I... I had no idea you..." Rachel looked away and raised a hand to her mouth before beginning to cry. However, her tears were not of sadness or mourning or other such negative things, they were tears of _indescribable joy_. "Chloe fucking Price. You have _no_ idea how _happy_ I am!" she exclaimed, looking Chloe in the eyes once more.

"Jesus, Rachel," Chloe answered, tearing up. "You're gonna make _me_ cry."

Rachel gently cupped Chloe's face, tears still streaming down her own. "I'm so happy... I could kiss you."

"Do it," Chloe dared, smirking softly.

Smirking in reply, Rachel leaned in slowly, and gently kissed Chloe square on the lips.

It took a moment before Chloe kissed back. After a long while, she pulled away. "Holy shit..."

"Yeah..."

Just then... a car pulled up, and Mark Jefferson stepped out and approached the two girls.

"Jefferson..." Chloe snarled, glaring at him. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"Easy, Price." Jefferson threw his hands up. "I'm not here to upset you. I'm here to... pay my respects and atone for what I've done." His voice sounded sincere, but Chloe doubted him.

"Oh, bullshit. You can atone by burning in hell," she spat. "Just looking at you pisses me off!"

Jefferson shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't blame you. I'd hate me too, if I were in your position." Then, he slowly pulled out an object that Chloe immediately recognized as a gun.

"That gun," she muttered. "That's what you used to kill Max, isn't it?"

"It is. And now..." he said, raising the gun, "I'm going to use it to atone for my crime." Slowly, he pointed the gun at his head, and... _BAM!_ He flopped to the ground unceremoniously, blood gushing out of his temple.

Chloe suddenly felt... unexpected pity for the man who had killed the person more precious to her than life itself. She took off her beanie out of respect even though he didn't deserve it, and shook her head silently.

"We should, uh... report this to the police. Immediately," Rachel said, panicking.

"Yeah." Chloe took out her phone and called the police, shakily explaining what had happened. The dispatcher told her to remain at her present location, and that help would come shortly. Within minutes, a number of police cars, and an ambulance, arrived on the scene to collect the body and the gun.

"You say he suddenly felt guilty for killing your friend and then... did this?" one officer asked Chloe.

"That's right. He said he would atone for his crime."

"Alright. Thank you. We'll contact you if any further testimony is needed." Giving a nod, the officer returned to her car and drove off, sirens blaring.

"Well, that's _one_ way to atone," Chloe remarked, still shocked beyond belief by what had just happened. "I just... can't believe... I actually had to watch him do that."

Rachel wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist. "I know, but... Doesn't it make you feel a little better, in some fucked up kind of way?"

"You would think so, but... no. It doesn't. It makes me feel worse, actually. That asshole deserved to rot in a cell for the rest of his goddamn life."

"I won't argue with that one."

"I should head home. Mom and... David are probably wondering where I am." After kissing Rachel goodnight, Chloe headed back home, only to be greeted by a barrage of questions from her mother and David. Most of the questions were about her whereabouts for the day, and what exactly transpired at the cemetery, but one caught her completely off guard. David had asked her, "Why do you look so content with things right now?"

Chloe could not give a straight answer. She was feeling too many emotions all at once. If one were to put everything she was feeling into words, one would probably say that she was feeling unfathomable despair and more hopeful than ever all at the same time. It was... strange, much like life itself. She walked up to her room, closed and locked the door behind her, put on her favorite CD, and drowned out the world around her. Before she realized it, she had fallen asleep.


	3. Moving On

Months after discovering her friend's body, mourning for a brief period of time, and accepting that this was now her reality, Chloe decided to move on with her life, because Max would have wanted her to. She and Rachel had made plans to leave Arcadia Bay and go to Los Angeles someday, and today was that day. After packing her bags and saying goodbye to her mother and David, she headed out to meet Rachel at the airport. Luckily, Rachel had paid for both of their tickets. The two shared a long embrace, and discussed what they would do once they got to California. Naturally, Rachel wanted to go to Hollywood. Chloe, on the other hand, had no idea what she wanted to do. So, she went along with Rachel, partly to keep her own mind occupied, but mostly because seeing Rachel so happy made her happy as well. Now far from Arcadia Bay, the two young women decided to move in together, living happily in a city where dreams come true.  
  


_Since moving in together, Rachel and Chloe have begun dating, and are even talking about getting married someday._

_Chloe owns her own tattoo shop in the area, and Rachel is currently trying to get her foot in the door in the film industry._

_Joyce and David are expecting a child together. They have not told Chloe yet._

_Chloe and Rachel occasionally go back to Arcadia Bay to visit Max's grave, always at Chloe's request._

_Chloe secretly plans on proposing to Rachel after one of her_ _auditions_ _. Rachel has no idea._


End file.
